Mainly used by Brute Captains, the Brute Shot is a grenade launcher that fires frag grenades that hit their targets or are deflected by an object. It has a blade at the bottom that is used for melee attack.
The Brute Shot has a 4-round capacity, with a maximum of 12 additional grenades. The projectiles have a tendency to bounce, but explode on contact with opponents and vehicles. It takes two grenades to kill directly, and usually 5 hits with splash damage. The Brute Shot, due to its signature blade, has a melee damage comparable to that of the Energy Sword and Rocket Launcher. It can kill with two melee hits, just as an Energy Sword can when not locked on. A grenade and a melee will kill a fully shielded opponent; a melee made during a jump or a fall on an opponent is also fatal.
Although useful in single-player, against flood and covenant, those unfamiliar with it should avoid this weapon in multi-player. Although it does have a two-hit melee kill comparable to the flag/bomb/skull, the grenades, while powerful, are notoriously difficult to aim and prone to splash both you and your enemy. If you get a handle on the aim, though, then it can certainly be a deadly weapon, especially after the update to 1.1, which significantly increased the power of grenades.
This weapon is good for both close and long range combat, particularly when facing multiple foes at once, a shot from very close range will devastate your opponent. Also, the best tactic for this weapon is to fire a shot and then dive-melee. This will take some practice but it is a highly effective maneuver.
It should also be noted that if you are running and melee an opponent in the head, you can get a 1 hit kill using the brute shot without having to do a jumping melee.